Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Toltec, ca. 10th to 12th century CE, or Aztec, ca. 1345 to 1521 CE. A small grey stone basin with three legs with concave hollows that echo the deep-carved eyes of the skull-form handle. The Aztec looked to the Toltec as a great ancestral precursor to their own Empire and are known to have imitated their artistic style, which is why it is difficult to identify the makers of this small bowl. In Aztec mythology, skulls often symbolized Mictlantecuhtli, the god of the dead and the king of the lowest section of the underworld, Mictlan (his name means "Lord of Mictlan"). Size: 3.8" L x 2.6" W x 1.85" H (9.7 cm x 6.6 cm x 4.7 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Young Collection, New Hampshire

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#118650

Slight wear to surface; there may be a loss where the lower jaw would be based on texture of surface but it is not clear.